A self-supporting motor vehicle bodywork has an underbody which terminates the passenger compartment at the bottom, which underbody is connected to the roof by means of vertical struts, usually known as A, B, and C columns. The underbody itself has a plurality of modules, which are conventionally welded together as sheet metal parts in the course of production. These include, inter alia, side skirts, seat cross-members, seat supports, and the tunnel. Located between these modules extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle are floor panels, that is, in the front bodywork area, i.e. approximately below the front seats, a front floor on both sides of the tunnel, in the central bodywork area behind the heel plate the rear floor and in the rear bodywork area behind the rear axle cross-member the rear floor extension with the spare wheel well.
The documents DE 10 2007 056 854.6, DE 10 2007 035 495.0, and DE 10 2006 052 992.8, still unpublished at the priority date of this application, describe a frame structure for a motor vehicle, a wheel housing, or a front floor for a front floor of a motor vehicle.
The D-LFT method, also known as direct LFT method, is a generally known method for plastics processing. LFT stands for long-fiber-reinforced plastic. In the D-LFT method a matrix of a thermoplastic material is plasticized in an extruder and blended in a mixer with shortened-length continuous fibers. The fiber-containing plasticized material is then pressed (directly) into shape. The result is a fiber-plastic composite having a plastic matrix, in which long fibers are embedded. Due to the use of an extruder, the fiber length can generally be between about 1 mm and about 50 mm.
It is at least one object of one embodiment of the invention to provide a self-supporting motor vehicle bodywork having a low weight. In addition, other objects, desirable features, and characteristics, will become apparent from the subsequent summary and detailed description, and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and this background.